Sticking Together
by Melantha Frost
Summary: Happens before the movie. Events of the movie will never happen. Jack Frost is the only spirit able to spread winter. When he is beaten to near-death by the other hateful seasonal spirits, who will help him?


"Hey Baby Tooth, I need you to retrieve a lateral incisor at 2471 Maple West Street, Burgess. You know where that is?" A woman with fairy wings and amethyst eyes flitted inside a floating castle reminiscent to an open bird cage. Hordes of tiny look-alikes rushed about her in a seemingly random pattern.

A mini fairy with an iridescent yellow feather atop her head nodded rapidly and chirped an affirmative. She flew away from her gossiping sisters. She pretended not to notice them staring after her jealously. The mini teeth always competed against each other for their mother's affection. She herself was winning, her mama had dubbed her Baby Tooth.

She navigated through the wide hallways, dodging the returning fairies. They all carried teeth. They were the Tooth Fairy's helpers.

The day changed to night, the sun was replaced by the moon and stars, as she flew through the different time zones. Baby Tooth grinned at the sand streaming through the air, on their way to deliver dreams to sleeping children. Memories were nice, letting you re-experience a good time, but dreams were the best the first time around.

Baby Tooth jolted back to the present as a glowing butterfly flew from a golden river, followed by a puppy. The pup batted at the fly, never giving up the chase, at least until a child's sleep called out to the dog, who dissolved into a small winding ribbon of gold. They were soon replaced by jumping dolphins, swarming fish, and towering dinosaurs of every kind. Unicorns, pegasi, kittens, and birds roamed the town of Burgess, neighing and chirping and meowing and barking. The sounds mixed together, forming a cacophony of wild music - at least to any spirit around.

It was considerably colder here than in Asia, and she couldn't handle the cold for very long. She took a shortcut through a forest.

The woods were relatively quiet, just frogs croaking and owls hooting and crickets humming. If she could just cross this small patch of Pan's wilderness, her destination would be the first house in sight. Baby Tooth loved small excursions like these, it gave her time to think.

She was the most like her mother. She was more intelligent, more independent, took more after Toothiana, than her sisters. Perhaps this was why her sisters resented her, why she was her mother's right hand fairy. Sometimes she wished she wa -

Abrasive, yet quiet, mutterings drifted to her ears, along with terrified whimpering and resounding thumps and grunts. Animals seemed to quieten the closer she came. Her wings became thunder in her ears compared to this ghostly silence.

The fairy landed on a twisted tree branch and crept toward the sounds. The whimpers grew louder, oh so loud. How nobody could hear this, she did not know, but it sounded like a child. The branch swayed dangerously under her, threatening to give her away, as she reached the tip.

Baby Tooth gasped and covered her mouth at the sheer horror of the sight that lay before her.

Three spirits towered over a smaller sprite. One was a girl with flaming hair and radiated a warmth - Semaria Summers, the spirit of Summer. The girl to her right had flowers in her hair, and grass seemed to flower around her - Stella Spring, the spirit of Spring. The boy to Semaria's left had leaves of every color adorn his hair. He was also the leader - Fletcher Falls, the spirit of Fall. They were all siblings, in a way.

What disgusted her so was the boy they were bullying. He had messy snowy locks and pale skin. His eyes, which were probably usually electric blue, were now dull yet cold winter. He was curled up in a fetal position, one hand clinging to a hooked staff like a lifeline, the other clutching his stomach. A sticky red substance covered the side of his head, and his wrists and ankles. His wrists and ankles were bound by spiky vines. His whimpering had stopped.

Baby Tooth had seen this boy before, when he was full of life and laughter, although he was always alone. How he could survive for however long like that, unbelieved, she could not fathom. She had also heard Bunny describe him with contempt. This was Jack Frost. The siblings probably hated Jack for bringing about cold, killing life.

Incensed, the mini fairy charged into the group of three, squeaking madly. The bullies jumped back and almost ran away, but stopped when they realized who had attacked them. Fletcher laughed at Baby Tooth, and motioned for Stella to catch her. Baby Tooth chirped indignantly at them.

"Aw, is the wittle birdie all awone? Don't you know it's dangewous for a baby bird to wander awound?" Semaria teased.

The siblings laughed, all their attention trained on their newest victim. Jack seized the opportunity to sneak away, as the vines had loosened. Nobody noticed the shadows twist and darken. Nobody noticed the glaring yellow eyes.

"No, they have me."

All spirits present slowly turned toward the source of the dark chocolate voice. A tall man - shade really - rose over the five now cowering spirits. His pale grey skin seemed to blend into his pitch black cloak. Hair black as his clothes spiked up messily, teeth dead-grey and crooked. Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, Demon of the Night, Nightmare King, and Bane of the Guardians. Unknown to most, he was the saviour of those in the dark, those alone, those ignored.

Baby Tooth, however, did not know this, and hid in some underbrush (Stella had released her in her shock.)

Pitch disregarded the trembling hummingbird and grinned maliciously. "Boo." With that simple word, the ruffians tripped and scrambled over each other in their haste to get away. He didn't do anything to stop them, but they may have some... Unpleasant dreams tonight.

A whine caught his attention, reminding him why he had come in the first place. He paced over to the pale youth, picking him up and hushing him. Jack cried out at the pain of being jostled. Frost spread gently, from his fingertips up to his rescuer's arm. The Boogeyman put him to sleep, but did not give him any nightmares.

After all, those in the dark stick together, however loosely.

* * *

**A/N**: Hi, I'm not dead! I've just been really, really busy. School, orchestra, projects, orchestra, snow, orchestra, school... Did I mention orchestra? Yep, I made Junior District and All-City, yayz!

Before, I believed in Jack Frost and the Guardians. Now I KNOW they're real. It cannot be a coincidence, with two winter storms and eight snow days. And I was riding home on a bus, and it was snowing. I said, "If you're real, send me a snowflake," and put my finger on an empty spot the snow seemed to avoid. And a 'flake landed right where my finger was!

I may or may not continue this... Originally it was supposed to be a one-shot. Depends on if I can force myself to work on my other stories first.


End file.
